Apple Close to Deal With Time Warner Cable – Apple TV Set Looms Closer

Apple’s iPhone 5S and iPad Mini 2 may be the talk of the tech town this summer, but behind the scenes in Cupertino there’s reason to believe Apple TV is edging ever-closer to its launch.

Apple TV has long been something of a ‘will it or won’t’ in subject, with just as many suggesting it will never happen as backing the prospect with relative certainty. And of course the idea is an appealing one – an Apple-branded super-HD TV set running iOS and fully compatible will all existing iOS devices and apps.

There’s no question as to whether Apple has the time, the resources and the talent to come up with its own TV set – chances are it’s already been designed and could go into production at any time. However, what is rumored to have been holding Apple back is the small matter of striking deals with the relevant content providers in order to deliver the actual shows and movies themselves.

The Cupertino company apparently faced similar struggles signing up record labels for iTunes Radio – cable companies are likely to prove even trickier to land.

However, new reports have come to light suggesting that Apple is close to reaching a deal with Time Warner Cable, which could result in Apple gaining the rights to broadcast TWC’s television channels through its Apple TV set-top boxes. And should this be the case, it could serve as an incredibly significant step-forward in Apple’s efforts to get the first Apple TV set off the ground and into the homes of consumers.

The report was published by Bloomberg and cited “people with knowledge of the negotiations” as the sources behind the rumor. What’s more, it has also been suggested that Apple will be taking on Peter Distad to help with ongoing cable provider negotiations – the former Senior Vice President of Marketing and Distribution at Hulu.

Apple has already confirmed that it will add content from ESPN and HBO to the Apple TV set-top box arsenal.

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